


Harbinger

by Sorunort



Category: Stella Glow
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-07 08:38:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11055330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorunort/pseuds/Sorunort
Summary: Hilda discovers a very familiar boy outside Mithra Village. Someone who reminds her of the legendary hero Elcrest. Rather than abandon him or let him wander to Mithra Village, Hilda takes him back with her to the Harbingers.





	Harbinger

          Hilda continuously asked herself what she was doing here, yet she never found an answer. Perhaps she wanted to clear her thoughts, search for a quiet location. It was hard to get any silence with her fellow Harbingers at their base of operations. Hilda wasn’t keen on leaving Fahrenheit for too long however her feet carried her despite her mental reprimands. If anyone asked where she had gone she didn’t have to give a straight answer. Hilda knew she could take care of herself, she didn’t need someone watching her all the time. Nobody would dare approach the Witch of Destruction. If they did, they were a fool and a crystallized one at that.

          Bearing that in mind, Hilda still kept herself hidden away in Mithra Forest. She knew the village was nearby but she had no intention of visiting (or crystallizing) it today. Instead she allowed herself to bask in the sun’s warm rays, a luxury she couldn’t afford deep underground in her empire. The silence of the forest was welcomed, save for the occasional rustle of leaves with a gentle gust of wind and soft tweets from the birds. She hesitated mid step, idly resting a hand against a tree trunk and closing her eyes. Hilda’s lips turned upward with a brief exhale, soaking in everything around her as her mind began to wander.

          Maybe that was the reason behind her walk. Old memories begging to resurface and Hilda finally granted them an outlet. ‘Old’ didn’t quite cut it when it came down to the hazy imagery. Witches from a thousand years past and one young man her heart ached for. How often did Hilda replay _that_ scene in her mind? Back when they failed to defeat Mother Qualia and abandoned Xeno- left him to _die._ She could recall Kaede’s distraught pleas and cries as clear as the current forest day. The six of them all gathered around Elcrest as he _begged_ for death. Out of all the tragedy Hilda had witnessed, that was seared into her memory more than the rest. The one she loved imploring for his life to be extinguished. All they could do was watch in misery.

          But Hilda reminded herself of her promise and tried to shun those negative emotions away.  By now her lips fell back into a frown and her eyes cracked open, fixated on the grass below. All she could do for him now was continue the crystallization. That was what she promised, she couldn’t stop now. She _refused_.

          Picking her head up, Hilda scanned her surroundings. Same lush green leaves and faint babbling of the nearby river. Along with the birds, a distressed child, the wind blowing-

          …No, _wait, what_ was that?

          Tuning everything else out, Hilda focused on listening for the child-like sound. It made no sense, what was a child doing in the forest this far out from the village? Wolves lived here, what person would be stupid enough to let their child run unattended? Did they _want_ them to be gobbled up? The distant child-like sound didn’t return but Hilda heard various noises like someone was up ahead. Keeping her guard up Hilda set out towards the source, noting in the back of her mind that she was drawing closer to the lake. If she didn’t make in time the child might fall and drown. She saved Dorothy and Dante, she could save another…!

          Hilda hit a small clearing where the lake was located and much to her shock, it wasn’t a child. Rather, a young man who was completely _drenched_. If she hadn’t known any better Hilda would have assumed the boy came from the village and accidentally fell in the lake. But there were various signs that pointed this wasn’t the case. For one, there was a section of dirt and grass that was noticeably disheveled and ripped up, like the boy had been trying to pull himself out of the lake. It must have been frantic to leave that much of a mark. Secondly, a foot away from that patch there was a puddle of water and indent in the grass as if the boy had been sitting there sopping wet for some time. Any normal person would have returned to the village instead of sitting around.

          Third, his face. As soon as their eyes met Hilda felt everything else around them stop.

_Elcrest._

          She wanted to call out his name but Hilda knew better than that. Even if her heart yearned for the Conductor there was no way this drenched kid could be him. Her memories were playing tricks on her, that… that had to be it.

          There was something else that bugged her. The utter fear and confusion mixed on his face. That just confirmed to Hilda that he wasn’t some ordinary villager. She held his gaze for a long while, searching his eyes for _anything_. Wishful thinking, even though she kept reminding herself this couldn’t be Elcrest. He didn’t look anything like that– His eyes had been golden like hers. Not blue.

          Finally Hilda broke the silence between them. “Who are you?” She tried to keep her tone steady but it came out more demanding and stern than she would’ve liked. Perhaps a bit too eager and hopeful to hear him answer _Elcrest_.

          But it appeared Hilda wouldn’t be getting any decent response. The question made him grimace and recoil, biting his lip and lowering his head. Uneven footsteps slid across the grass backwards as one hand balled into a fist, the other grabbed at his wet hair as he shook his head quickly. The boy muttered something that Hilda had to strain to listen for. Lucky for her he repeated it a few times with growing intensity.

          “I… don’t know… I don’t _know_ …!”

          Obviously distraught by this the boy began to back up again, withdrawing his hand and peering over his shoulder. Mithra was in that direction. He was looking to escape there, as if anyone knew who he was. The boy spared Hilda another vaguely panicked look and spun around.

          Hilda was reacting before she knew what she was doing. “Wait!” She called out, warping across the lake and in front the boy. Of course this only startled the poor boy more who scrambled back to get away. His foot hit the lake edge and he let out a strangled gasp as he teetered over the lake he surfaced from. Hilda, once again, acted without thinking and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the water and tugging him further so he wouldn’t drag the two of them in.

          Nearly falling back into the lake and then having his personal space invaded clearly didn’t sit right with him, but he was too shaken up to try running again. Whether it be from the damp cold or whatever inner turmoil he must be going through, Hilda felt him trembling in her grip. Staring at her wide eyed with quick, uneasy breaths. Her heart sank and she knew that this couldn’t possibly be Elcrest. There was no way the Conductor she cherished could look so small and frightened.

          Frowning Hilda loosened her grip a bit, lowering her voice as to not startle him again. The last thing she wanted was him running to Mithra Village and leaving her with mixed emotions and zero answers. “Let me help you. You don’t know your name, correct? … Where are you from?”

          This earned about the same response. He exhaled quietly and shook his head in defeat. “I don’t know that either… I don’t remember anything.”

          “Nothing? …I see,” Hilda said, choices spinning through her mind. She saw only one option left at this point, and that was take him back with her. If he left now, she wouldn’t have any answers and she wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on him. Even if she knew this wasn’t Elcrest, the fact remained that he almost convinced her otherwise. That alone was suspicious and Hilda refused to let him wander out of her sight. He could live in Fahrenheit with them. The others would have to deal with it, this was her decision and none of them could stop or dissuade her. It wasn’t like she had to bring him with her to the crystallization.

          “Why don’t you come with me?” Hilda asked, taking his hand in both of hers. “Unless you would rather stay out here in the woods by yourself.”

          He made a face at that, not a scared one like the rest. This was slightly more disgusted and it made Hilda feel the tiniest bit of relief to know he was calming down a little. “No, I… I don’t want to stay here.”

          “Well,” Hilda looked back at the lake and path she came from, then back at the boy. “Let’s be on our way. You may call me Hilda.”

* * *

          “Hildaaa! Who’s this? He looks like a drowned rat!” A childish voice broke out as soon as Hilda entered the underground city. She immediately recognized it as Dorothy, who came bounding up to meet her. Dorothy stopped when she noticed the now dry but disheveled boy at her side and took the time to berate him.

          Hilda, however, wasn’t going to encourage her and stepped around her, urging the boy (who was staring at Dorothy with a puzzled expression) to do the same. “Dorothy, where’s Dante? I need to speak with him.”

          Dorothy eagerly followed, poking at the boy much to his discomfort as she spoke. “He’s in his room! Whatcha need him for? You gonna tell me who this is or not? Where’d you find him, anyway? You didn’t tell any of us where you were going.”

          “That’s none of your concern, Dorothy.”

          “But it’s _you_ , Hilda! What would we do if something happened to you?”

          “ _Dorothy_.”

          “Guh– Okay…” Dorothy stuck out her lower lip in a pout, looked at the boy and blew a raspberry at him before scampering off ahead of them. “Daaante! Hilda needs yooou!” She sang, rounding a corner.

          Hilda followed suit although not with the same energy or speed as Dorothy. The boy watched the cloaked little girl disappear and knit his eyebrows together. He glanced at Hilda then let his gaze wander around the crystallized interior. “Is she always so…. uh…” He trailed off, searching for the right word. “Obnoxious?”

          “Dorothy? Don’t mind her,” Hilda said, rounding the corner. “She’ll warm up to you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

          “It’s not really that, it’s…” He hesitated, looking down at himself then tugging on a strand of hair and inspecting it. “Do I _really_ look like a drowned rat?”

          This caused Hilda to crack a small smile, shaking her head slowly. She never imagined she would hear Elcrest ask something so ridiculous- _no_ , he’s _not_ Elcrest. “Not for long.”

          “So I _do_ look like one.”

          “Hush, we’re here.” Hilda squeezed his arm to reinforce her words. Dorothy had already beat them there and was hanging around the doorway. She perked up when she spotted Hilda and grinned devilishly at the boy. Hilda paid it no mind and rapped on the door with a verbal warning, “Dante?” Then let herself in.

          On the other side was another boy. With spiky tufts of ginger hair sticking out in all sorts of directions and sharp gray eyes focused on Hilda as she entered. “Hilda,” He said standing up, ready and alert. “What do you– …” His expression darkened into a scowl as soon as his eyes fell on the boy beside her, flashing Hilda an annoyed look. “Who’s _this_? He looks like a drowned rat.”

          As if on cue the boy next to the Witch let out a tired sigh, his shoulders sinking. Hilda kept her composure and ignored the obvious jab. She had a feeling this wouldn’t go over well with the spear-man but she was ready. “Dante, I need you to prepare him something to wear. He’s a new recruit.”

          Dante’s scowl went from annoyed to exasperated, raising an eyebrow. “This skinny runt? Why? I didn’t realize the Harbinger’s standards dropped so low.”

          Hilda’s face turned sour at that, shooting him an icy glare. “If you don’t like it, you can leave. I say he’s a new recruit, so he’s staying.”

          That seemed to shut him up, but only briefly. He winced and grumbled in defeat “Tch… Why can’t he wear one of the grunt’s uniforms? You’re not seriously putting him in a high ranking position. … Are you?”

          Hilda glanced back at the boy in question, who met her gaze with a worried look. Dante was right about that, but she never intended to make him a high ranking member. If he earned it that was a different story. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Elcrest wouldn’t be able to come through- _not Elcrest._ Hilda turned back to Dante. “He’ll wear one until you finish. Are we clear?”

          Dante let out a huff, planting his hands on his hips with a bitter look in his eyes. Then he waved one hand, “Yeah, I can do that,” he resigned.

          “See to it that you do.” Hilda nodded once and then turned around ready to leave. But she was stopped by Dorothy who was checking out their new recruit by hopping circles around him.

          “What’s your name, huh? You’ve barely said a word this whole time!” Dorothy chirped, stopping in front of him and staring up despite her hood being in her eyes. “I bet it’s something lame like Kevin or Keith! He’s got that total loser look to him, right Dante?”

          The boy appeared overwhelmed by Dorothy constantly moving about and took a cautious step back when she got too close for comfort. He flashed Hilda a look for help when prompted about his name, alternating between her and Dorothy while stammering. “I, uh.. It’s– My name is, um…”

          Hilda knew she wouldn’t be able to address him as Elcrest. Not only that, it wouldn’t be good for her if she kept calling him that. This whole time Hilda had gone back and forth in her mind as to whether or not he was Elcrest. She needed to put it behind her, that was for the best. Besides, how odd would it look for this so called drowned rat to be nicknamed after the legendary hero?

          “Alto,” Hilda spoke up. “His name is Alto.”

          'Alto’ stared at her with wide eyes, blinking slowly then staring down at himself. “Alto…” He repeated to himself. After a few seconds of silence he began to smile, nodding. “I’m Alto.”

          Dorothy twisted her lips and let out a huff. “I was right, it’s something lame. _Bo-ring_!” She jabbed him in the chest, planting one hand on her hip. “You better not cause Hilda any trouble! Or I’ll mince you up myself!” With that warning and threat in mind, she flew off and out the door with her rabbit ears trailing behind her.

          Alto gently rubbed where she prodded at him, watching Dorothy leave with his eyebrows knit in uncertainty. Meanwhile Dante was chuckling under his breath. He approached Alto as well, except instead of a jab he threw a punch to his shoulder, a nasty grin playing over his features.

          “Welcome to the Harbingers, _Alto._ Try not to get in our way.”

* * *

          Metal clashing against metal rang through the underground city. Not that it was anything new, in fact it was a common occurrence. Everyone knew by now to leave the two of them to spar in peace. Spear met with sword, striking with growing intensity and aggression. This continued for some time until Alto was down on one knee, cheeks puffy as he panted and leaned on his sword to hold himself up. Dante stood with his spear pointed toward his throat, looking awfully smug to have beaten him once more.

          “C'mon, get up. I thought you had more bite in you than that with how arrogant you talked earlier,” Dante sneered, not making any move to take his spear away.

          Alto glowered back at him, heaving himself back on his feet. “Shut up, I almost had you. I’m getting better at this and you know it.”

          The redhead huffed, withdrawing his spear and stabbing the tip into the ground, leaning on it. “Getting better? Don’t gimme that. Your moves are as predictable as ever. You need to shape up if you’re gonna be any use to Hilda.”

          Alto opened his mouth to bite back but hesitated. His mind wandered at the mention of Hilda. It had been three years since she discovered him at the lake. He still hadn’t informed her that he actually woke up in the lake, and she never asked. Alto wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell her or not, but if she wasn’t going to ask then it allowed him more time to think about it. Sure he was thankful that Hilda found him and even gave him a home, and he wanted to make it up to her however possible. But something about what Dante said bothered him, he just couldn’t put his finger on it.

          Dante noticed Alto’s hesitation, raising an eyebrow. “Hey, what are you spacing out for?”

          Alto shook his head to clear his thoughts, sheathing his sword. “It’s nothing. Sparing with you and fighting monsters outside only gets me so far, y'know. If we keep this up your moves are gonna get predictable, too.”

          He made a face at that, uprooting his spear and turning on his heel. “You wish. C'mon, it’s almost dinner time. Hilda will be mad if we’re late. Or do you want Hrodulf to eat our share?”

          “Yeah, I’m coming!”

          The two of them left together, making their way through the corridors with idle chit chat. It wasn’t long before they bumped into Dorothy rushing and colliding right into Alto. He let out a grunt, blinking down at the child in surprise. “Dorothy? What’s got you in such hurry?”

          “Probably chasing something shiny,” Dante grumbled.

          “Hey! Am not!” Dorothy protested, jumping back after crashing into Alto. “I’ll have you know I was helping Hilda make dinner since _you_ weren’t there to do it, Dante! It’s gonna be done soon, so she asked me to come get you knuckleheads.”

          Alto could have sworn he saw fear in Dante’s eyes for a split second. “ _You_ helped her?” It was well known that Dorothy couldn’t cook, and nobody trusted her anywhere near a kitchen. She would take her chainsaw and mince up random ingredients of whatever she thought was cute, sweet, and shiny. No recipe involved, everything else was 'bland’ to her. Dante looked between Alto and Dorothy then cut through them muttering, “I’m gonna go check on dinner,” and took off at a brisk pace.

          As soon as he was out of sight Alto sighed and frowned, shifting his weight on his feet. “That wasn’t a very nice joke you know. Dante takes cooking pretty seriously,” he scolded.

          Dorothy grinned, rocking on the balls of her feet. “That’s why it was funny! Didn’t you see the fear in his eyes? I bet he thinks I did something awful.” Her smile dropped, sticking her lip out in a pout. “But Hilda wouldn’t actually let me help her. Said there’s not enough room for my chainsaw in there. All I got to do was supervise. Do you have any idea how boring it is to just watch and hand her stuff? I couldn’t add anything cute!”

          “Cooking’s not really about whatever’s cute, Dorothy, it’s about how it tastes. You like Hilda’s cooking, don’t you?”

          “Of course I do! I love everything about Hilda!”

          “Then we don’t want to keep her waiting anymore, right? Let’s go,” Alto said, patting her on the shoulder and turning her around to the hallway. “I know I’m hungry enough to eat for three people.”

          Dorothy giggled to herself, skipping a head a few paces. “Yeah, cause you and Dante won’t stop going at it. Why don’t you ever wanna fight with me, huh? I’m just as good as Dante!”

          Alto grimaced, having to pick up speed to keep up with her. “Because I like my arms attached to my body. I know how you are with slicing things up. Dante might try to kill me but at least he leaves me intact.”

          “Man, you guys are _boring_. Where’s the fun in that?”

          “It’s not supposed to be fun, it’s training. I need to catch up with the rest of you.” Dante’s words played in his mind again. _You need to shape up if you’re gonna be any use to Hilda._ Dante was all talk, and they always got under each others skin. Why did _that_ bother him?

          “Hah, in your dreams! C'mon, slowpoke!” Dorothy cackled, “I’m gonna eat your whole share if you don’t catch me!” With that she took a jump and soared through the hall, landing at the end of it.

          “Hey!” Alto called after her, breaking into a jog to catch up. “No fair! I don’t have flight orbs like you do! _Dorothy_!”

              Dorothy paused to stick her tongue out at him then scurried inside the dining room. Alto could hear her announce herself and by then had just caught up with her. Dorothy was beginning to seat herself, while Hilda and Hrodulf were already sat around the table. Everyone had their bowls ready along with other utensils. The only thing missing was the actual food. Alto made his way over, pulling his chair out and asked, “Where’s Dante?”

          Hrodulf was the first one to speak up. “He insisted on retrieving the pot for Hilda and getting our bowls since he was not here to assist her. …. However I suspect he wanted to make sure Dorothy didn’t add anything to the Hot Pot.”

          Dorothy crossed her arms and sank in her chair with a pout. Hilda took a sip from her glass and turned her attention to Alto. “The two of you were sparring again, yes? Take care not to wear yourself out.”

          Alto mumbled under his breath, “I wouldn’t be any use to you if I did.”

          Hilda raised an eyebrow, quirking her head. “Pardon?”

          “Sorry, nothing. I’ll keep that in mind.”

          Hilda looked like she wanted to say more, but before she could open her mouth Dante emerged from the kitchen with the pot in hand. He leaned across the table and sat it in the center. “Look who decided to join us,” He said, jerking his head toward Alto. “Looks like you get to eat tonight after all.”

          Alto narrowed his eyes but said nothing, instead grabbing his bowl and going for the pot. “What did you make tonight, Hilda?”

          “Tom Yum broth with beef, enoki mushroom, and shrimp,” She replied, pouring some into her bowl already. “I figured the two of you would be hungry after training so I made plenty. Eat up.”

          Dorothy grumbled from her side of the table, “I still think it could use some hornet larvae.”

          “You toss that shit in and I’ll personally roast you in a Hot Pot,” Dante retorted, reaching for some after Hilda.

          “Both of you,” Hrodulf said, shooting them each a glare. “Mind your table manners.”

          Dorothy mumbled an apology while Dante snorted through his nose. Both of them sat back down to eat and silence fell over the table. Aside from Dorothy slurping up her noodles noisily. Dante muttered a quick “Thanks,” to Hilda and dug in. Alto kept his eyes down and on his food, his mind traveling back to his match earlier.

          What did he care about being of use to Hilda? That was in the oath a Harbinger had to take, but Alto felt like he hadn’t done much of anything since Hilda rescued him. Dante, Dorothy, and Hrodulf all had their own reasons for supporting Hilda and the Harbinger’s cause. But Alto? Alto wasn’t sure if he had a reason. The most he was able to come up with was helping her in return for saving him. Hilda gave him a home, a name, and new memories. What had he done for her?

          Perhaps that’s why it bothered him. Alto hadn’t gone on any missions with the rest of them. He asked to come along but received the same answer each time: _you’re not ready_ or _you’ll slow us down_. Alto accepted that but he was getting frustrated. How could he repay Hilda’s kindness if he was stuck sitting around Fahrenheit all the time?

          Hilda’s words broke through his thoughts. He was so distracted that he almost didn’t catch it. “We’re going to Mithra Village tomorrow. Dante, I want you there to cover me.”

          Dante looked up, wiping his mouth off on his sleeve and nodding. “Understood, Hilda.”

          “Hiiilda, can’t I come?” Dorothy whined around a mouthful of food.

          She shook her head once. “No, Dorothy, I need you here. Mithra Village is small. Dante will be enough.”

          Mithra Village…. Now why did that sound so familiar? Alto paused, swallowed a portion of his shrimp and tapped his utensil against his bowl in thought. “Mithra… Isn’t that around where you found me, Hilda?”

          Hilda froze, breath caught in her throat. With a reaction like that, Alto knew he was right. Still, he waited for Hilda to compose herself for a verbal confirmation. She straightened up in her chair, fixing a neutral expression on her face as she met Alto’s eyes. “Yes, you’re correct. I found you in the forest outside Mithra Village.”

          They both knew what was coming next. Hilda clearly anticipated Alto’s reply but this was his only shot. “Hilda, let me come with-”

          “ _No_ , Alto.”

          “Why won’t you let me come with you? What are you hiding from me?”

          Dorothy sighed and let out a groan. “Aaand here we go again.” She reached for another helping of hot pot, babbling on. “If Hilda says you can’t go, then you can’t go! Simple as that.” Hrodulf cleared his throat, loudly, and Dorothy whined out, “Whaaat?”

          Alto ignored the Puppeteer’s outburst, focusing only on Hilda. “Please, Hilda. Let me help you. I can do more than sit around here all the time.”

          Hilda’s gaze turned cold, her voice just as stern. “Don’t misunderstand, Alto. I’m not trying to hide or protect you. You’re not ready to accompany us yet. When you’ve grown I will allow you to join us.”

          “But I’m not going to grow any stronger by staying put all day!” Alto countered. “I’ve been trying my best so that I can support you, but you won’t let me try. I won’t learn anything if I stay here.”

          “I understand and appreciate your efforts Alto,” Hilda keep her tone even compared to Alto’s agitated one. “But I cannot afford to bring someone who will only slow us down. Further more, you need to ask yourself if you’re ready to witness a crystallization.”

          That hit him, and Hilda knew it would. Alto wanted to say _yes_ , he _was_ ready, but he delayed in answering. Hilda had gotten better at this, and it only served to frustrate Alto further. He sank back into his chair, silent.

          Hilda watched him with an unreadable expression. Reaching for her drink she continued on, “Besides,” _sip_ “How do I know if you want to come to support me as you say, or try to look for clues to your past? For all I know, you might use this as an opportunity for your missing memories. I can’t bring someone who isn’t dedicated to our cause.”

          Alto shot forward in his seat and raised his voice with more aggression than he expected. “I don’t _care_ about that!”

          The outburst grabbed everyone’s attention. Hrodulf who had been nonchalantly eating stopped and stared. Dorothy had been watching the whole thing wide eyed, looking between Hilda and Alto. Dante was watching from under his bangs, narrowing his eyes as if Alto were plotting an attack or something ridiculous. Hilda appeared taken aback, eyes widening a degree from shock. It was strange but for some reason, Alto felt as though Hilda wasn’t truly seeing _him_ in that moment. But he pushed that thought down and kept talking now that he really had her attention.

          “I don’t care about my past,” He shook his head and gestured to Hilda, lowering his voice. “You gave me a name, a home, and new memories. I don’t need any missing memories. All I want to do is repay you, Hilda, for all that you’ve done for me. If you hadn’t found me, who knows where I would be right now? I’m grateful for all that you’ve done. Let me help you.”

          The shock had faded from her face but it was replaced by something all the more unrecognizable. Her eyebrows knit together and her lips curved down into a frown. Alto’s stomach twisted and for a moment he was worried he said something wrong. Why did Hilda look so crestfallen? Was there really something wrong with wanting to assist her?

          “Alto…” Hilda trailed off.

          An uneasy, tense silence fell over the table. The only one who dared to break it was Dante, who let out an airy chuckle and leaned back into his chair. “Look at this, the weakling’s got some guts in him. I say we bring him, Hilda. Let him prove how useful he can be out there for real. If he gets in our way, I’ll just kick his ass.”

          Now it was Alto’s turn to look shocked, confusion written all over his face. Of all the people there, _Dante_ was coming to his defense? “…Are you… feeling okay, Dante?” Alto asked, his tone just as puzzled as his expression.

          Dante glowered back at him, “Oh, shut up. Do you really think I want all our training together to go to waste?”

          “I agree,” Hrodulf spoke up, which surprised everyone considering how quiet he had been this whole time. “How can we expect him to learn if we do not test what he already knows? … You said it yourself, Hilda. Mithra is a small village. Dante will be able to keep him in line if need be. I don’t believe he will be much trouble.”

          Dorothy piped up, “So unfair! You wanna bring that loser along and not me? Ugh, you better make it count, Alto! ”

          Hilda scanned everyone’s faces at the table before settling on Alto. He couldn’t get it out of his mind that she was trying to see someone else- which was ridiculous, he could only be Alto. She’s the one who gave him that name. Alto gazed back at Hilda, as if staring might give him an explanation. “Hilda…?”

          She let out a sigh, closing her eyes. “You four are quite the handful. What am I going to do with you all…?” She met his eyes again, but she had her guard up and Alto was left wondering just what Hilda was looking for. What did she expect out of him? Why couldn’t she tell him? Hadn’t he made it clear he was ready to support her, no matter what?

          “…Alright, Alto. You will accompany Dante and I to Mithra Village. I’m giving you a shot to prove yourself. I suggest you take it seriously if you want to join us in the future.”

          A smile broke out on his face. “Thank you, Hilda! I won’t–” Dante cleared his throat loudly, nodding toward the Witch. Alto shook his head. “I mean, u-understood! … That’s what I’m supposed to say, right?”

          “Ugh, to think I stood up for you,” Dante groaned. “This is gonna be a disaster if this is how he’s starting out.”

          “Man, you’re so lucky, Alto! I haven’t gone on a crystallization mission in awhile!” Dorothy whined.

          “Do your best to prepare well, Alto,” Hrodulf nodded at him. “Both in body and spirit. Make sure you are ready to face the trials ahead.”

          Hilda chuckled quietly, allowing a small smile as she picked up her utensil. “Are you going to sit and talk through this whole meal? The Hot Pot will just get cold.”

          “Oh! Right!” Alto glanced back down at his half eaten bowl, but he peered around the rest of table, unable to hide his smile. It was strange to think of the Harbingers as family, but after three years and watching them stand up for him, Alto couldn’t see them as anything else.

          He had a place with them, now he just had to prove it by doing well on tomorrow’s mission. He refused to let Hilda down, not after everything she had done for him. It would be a shame to let the others down after they believed in him too. This was his path, one Hilda laid out for him since she rescued him.

          His name was Alto. Alto of the Harbingers.

**Author's Note:**

> sprite of Alto's harbinger attire right here http://68.media.tumblr.com/eacde75bdef006c4c1d6537e0637b05a/tumblr_oqdyieqmXQ1taga0po1_1280.png  
>  probably won't continue this since it was self indulgent but if I get the urge again who knows?


End file.
